Martin Šonka

Martin Šonka
Martin Šonka
Born	26 March 1978 (age 46); Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Czechoslovakia
Nationality	Czech
Education	University of Defence
	Aviation career
Air force	Czech Air Force
Racing career
First race	2010
Best position	1st (2018)
Aircraft	Zivko Edge 540 V3
Website	martin-sonka.cz

Martin Šonka (born 26 March 1978 in Dvůr Králové nad Labem) is a Czech aerobatics (unlimited) and a former fighter pilot in the Czech Air Force. He has raced in Red Bull Air Race World Championship since 2010,^[1] becoming the World Champion in the 2018 Red Bull Air Race World Championship season.

Biography

Beginnings

Martin Šonka began his aviation career in 1997. In this year he flew a glider for the first time and started his studies at University of Defence in Brno as a pilot. In 1999 he gained his Private Pilot Licence. Between 2001 and 2005 he attended Jan Perner Transport Faculty at University of Pardubice (Department of Transport Management, Marketing and Logistics). He finished his studies with a master's degree in 2005.

The Czech Air Force

His military career started in 2000 in Pardubice. Two years after he moved to the air base in Náměšť nad Oslavou and in 2006 to 21st Tactical Air Force Base at Čáslav where he began flying L-159 Alca. In 2012 he has finished the type rating for the Saab JAS 39 Gripen. In 2014 he was forced to leave the army due to his busy racing schedule.

Aerobatics

In 2005 he became a member of the Czech national aerobatic team. He used to fly Su-31, however in the past few years he is training and competing with Extra 300SR.

Red Bull Air Race

In 2009 Šonka passed all Red Bull Air Race qualifying camps and gained The Red Bull Air Race Super Licence. Then he was nominated for a 2010 season rookie.

Achievements

Red Bull Air Race

Martin Šonka at the Red Bull Air Race World Championship
Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points	Wins	Rank
2010	13th	14th	13th	12th	11th	11th	CAN	CAN	2	0	14th
Series not held between 2011 and 2013
2014	7th	6th	6th	10th	9th	7th	8th	3rd	18	0	8th
2015	10th	10th	2nd	3rd	7th	4th	4th	8th	29	0	4th
2016	DSQ	9th	2nd	13th	5th	4th	7th	CAN	31	0	7th
2017	1st	5th	3rd	4th	9th	1st	3rd	4th	70	2	2nd
2018	4th	8th	3rd	1st	1st	1st	10th	1st	80	4	1st
2019	2nd	3rd +2	4th +3	13th +2	Season shortened				68	0	3rd

Legend: * CAN: Cancelled * DNP: Did not take part * DNS: Did not start * DSQ: Disqualified

2009

World Championship, Unlimited - Free Style, Powered, 9th place^[2]
Slovenian Nationals, Unlimited, Powered, 1st place
World Air Games, Unlimited, Powered, 5th place

2008

World Aerobatic Cup, Unlimited, Powered, 3rd place ^[3]
European Championship, Unlimited, Powered, 17th place
National Championship, Unlimited, Powered, 1st place

2007

World Championship, Unlimited, Powered, 29th place.^[4]
National Championship, Unlimited, Powered, 2nd place

2006

European Championship, Unlimited, Powered, 14th place
National Championship, Unlimited, Powered, 3rd place

2005

European Championship, Advanced, Powered, 14th place
National Championship, Advanced, Powered, 4th place

2004

National Championship, Sportsman, Powered, 1st place
National Championship, Intermediate, Gliders, 1st place

2003

National Championship, Sportsman, Gliders, 1st place

2002

National Championship, Sportsman, Gliders, 3rd place

Gallery

Šonka taking off from Jandakot airport for the final practice before the Perth Red Bull Air Race
2017 Red Bull Air Race of Chiba - N806PB
Šonka in the cockpit of his Extra 300SR aircraft at Helsinki-Malmi airport

References

^ "Two new pilots for 2010 Red Bull Air Race season". Archived from the original on 2010-02-08. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
^ Daily Results - Saturday August 29, 2009 Archived January 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine" World Aerobatic Championship. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
^ "World Aerobatics Cup 2008 | Results". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
^ 24th FAI World Aerobatic Championships 24/06/2007 - 04/07/2007 Overall Results^{[permanent dead link]}. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

External links

[1] "Two new pilots for 2010 Red Bull Air Race season". Archived from the original on 2010-02-08. Retrieved 2010-02-01.

[2] Daily Results - Saturday August 29, 2009 Archived January 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine" World Aerobatic Championship. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

[3] "World Aerobatics Cup 2008 | Results". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-02-01.

[4] 24th FAI World Aerobatic Championships 24/06/2007 - 04/07/2007 Overall Results^{[permanent dead link]}. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Red Bull Air Race World Championship pilots
Current pilots (Master)	Cristian Bolton Mikaël Brageot Kirby Chambliss Matthias Dolderer Michael Goulian Matt Hall Nicolas Ivanoff Petr Kopfstein François Le Vot Pete McLeod Yoshihide Muroya Ben Murphy Martin Šonka Juan Velarde
Current pilots (Challenger)	Mélanie Astles Florian Bergér Kenny Chiang Kevin Coleman Dario Costa Luke Czepiela Patrick Davidson Daniel Genevey Daniel Ryfa Baptiste Vignes
Former pilots	Hannes Arch Péter Besenyei Paul Bonhomme Glen Dell Steve Jones Jurgis Kairys Adilson Kindlemann Nigel Lamb Alejandro Maclean Mike Mangold David Martin Peter Podlunšek Sergey Rakhmanin Klaus Schrodt Frank Versteegh

v t e Red Bull Air Race World Championship champions
Three-time	Paul Bonhomme (2009, 2010, 2015)
Two-time	Kirby Chambliss (2004, 2006) Mike Mangold (2005, 2007)
One-time	Hannes Arch (2008) Péter Besenyei (2003) Matthias Dolderer (2016) Nigel Lamb (2014) Yoshihide Muroya (2017) Martin Šonka (2018) Matt Hall (2019)

v t e Aerobatics
Aircraft	List of aerobatic aircraft
Competitions	European Gliding Championships FAI European Aerobatic Championships FAI World Aerobatic Championships FAI World Grand Prix Red Bull Air Race World Championship World Gliding Championships
Maneuvers	Loop (inside & outside) Aileron roll Barrel roll Cuban eight Falling leaf Hesitation roll Immelmann turn Kulbit Lomcovak Cobra maneuver Slip Spin Split S Stall turn/hammerhead Tailslide Scissors Whifferdill turn Zurabatic cartwheel
Organizations	British Aerobatic Association Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (Aresti Catalog) International Aerobatic Club International Miniature Aerobatic Club
Pilots	Cecilia R. Aragon Hannes Arch Princess Basmah Bani Ahmad Lincoln J. Beachey Péter Besenyei Ladislav Bezák Marta Bohn-Meyer Cristian Bolton Paul Bonhomme Pip Borrman Mikaël Brageot Kirby Chambliss Julie Clark Marion Cole Vicki Cruse Mario de Bernardi Giovanni De Briganti Tommaso Dal Molin Glen Dell Matthias Dolderer Wilhelm Düerkop Walter Extra Markus Feyerabend Gerhard Fieseler Jozef Gabris Michael Goulian Matt Hall Wayne Handley Ray Hanna Charlie Hillard Bob Hoover Bevo Howard Nicolas Ivanoff Nader Jahanbani Petr Jirmus Steve Jones Jurgis Kairys Svetlana Kapanina Sándor Katona Petr Kopfstein Charlie Kulp Anatoly Kvochur Nigel Lamb Amanda Lee Jim LeRoy François Le Vot Leo Loudenslager Nancy Lynn Alejandro Maclean Pete McLeod Jerzy Makula Stanisław Makula Mikhail Mamistov Mike Mangold Scott Manning Catherine Maunoury Yoshihide Muroya Pyotr Nesterov Alexandr Panfierov Ivy May Pearce Adolphe Pégoud František Peřina Tom Poberezny Peter Podlunšek Maciej Pospieszyński Sergey Rakhmanin Amelia Reid Olaf Schmidt Art Scholl Klaus Schrodt Betty Skelton Erde Skip Stewart Martin Šonka Gene Soucy Chris Sperou Victor Tchmal Reinhold Tiling Ferenc Tóth Sean D. Tucker Nick Turvey Ernst Udet Gabor Varga Juan Velarde Frank Versteegh Pavel Vlasov Patty Wagstaff Kermit Weeks Neil Williams Walter Wolfrum Janusz Żurakowski
Other	3D Radio control

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Czech Republic